Should government be allowed to determine whether textbooks are censured regarding religious content?

Is it legitimate for the FBI or other law enforcement groups to secretly place surveillance equipment in mosques to monitor Muslim congregations?

Young adults divided into teams and shared viewpoints on these timely issues during a mock debate June 23 at the state Capitol.

The debate was the culmination of the sixth annual Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium held one weekend in the summer. The three-day event, held at the University of Central Oklahoma and the state Capitol, was hosted by the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The debate groups were divided by gender, and each team huddled to talk strategy in the House Chamber. Adam Soltani, the executive director of CAIR-OK, said the women had won the debate in previous years, so the men were determined to get a victory this time.

And the men did win, Soltani said.

“They were very happy about that,” he said, laughing.

Soltani said the overall goal of the symposium is to develop today’s young Muslim leaders into social and community activists to benefit Oklahoma. He said 60 young adults were chosen to participate in the gathering, which included workshops, a talent show and team-building activities.